Godson
by At the End of Dreaming
Summary: When an astrophysicist involved in a top-secret project goes missing, Gibbs' team is assigned to find her. But Gibbs' own godson might have more to do with it then he ever imagined. What is 'Project Ranger? Warning: Slash and femslash. Diggy, Kenaya
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or Navy NCIS. **

Godson

Chapter 1

Gibbs' day hadn't even started off very well. He had woken up with a headache, had spilled his coffee and the minute he'd arrived at work he'd been called into MTAC. He barged into the room in time to see a call disconnect. He got one good look at the man's face, tan with dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes, before he disappeared. He'd been wearing the mark of a colonel. He moved towards where he could see the Director's dark red hair and sat down next to her. "What's going on Jen?" he asked.

She turned to him, her expression reading as mystified. "The FBI is turning a case over to us." She told him. Gibb's arched in eyebrow in surprise. "Well, that's new." He commented. "Their suspect a marine?" He asked, even though he knew that even if it was they wouldn't be getting the case. It was something much bigger than that.

Jenny shook her head, starting to look a bit bemused. Which was never a good look to see on the face of any Director. "That's the problem Jethro. This case doesn't fall into our jurisdiction. I cannot see any reason for them to hand us this case."

He frowned but before he could say anything, one of the technicians working in the room spoke up. "Madame Director, the FBI is contacting us."

"Connect us." She ordered.

The screen flared to life, revealing FBI Agent Tobias Fornell waiting impatiently at his desk. His old friend leaned forward once the connection stabilized, his eyes intense. "Oh Gibbs. Good, we don't have much time."

Gibbs stood up quickly and walked forward. "Tobias. What is going on?" he demanded.

"Missing person." Was the prompt reply. "Dr Katherine Tennet, 19, astrophysicist with an IQ of 180 and a specialty in," He paused to squint at a few papers on his desk. "'radical energy anomalies in the atmosphere' whatever that means. She went missing on her way to work this morning."

A picture appeared on the screen momentarily of a ridiculously young woman with chopped black hair and icy blue eyes with a blank expression. Then Fornell came back on. "She's spent the better part of the last three years working on a multi-million dollar project classified above top secret. According to the man in charge, one Colonel Lohn Gale, she has never missed a day's work. We're calling it a kidnapping. We need to find her as soon as possible."

"Why are you giving the case to use? This seems like FBI jurisdiction." He asked. He felt vaguely unsettled. The woman looked familiar, like he'd seen her somewhere. It was at the tip of his tongue but he couldn't grasp it.

Fornell sighed looking irritated. "Because she has high friends in high places and they want you on the case. And these aren't the kind of people you say no to." He explained. "I have no idea how a 19-year-old girl got involved with these people. I was going over her record and..."

"And?"

"And nothing." Fornell held up the papers he'd been looking at. The paper was covered nearly entirely in long black lines except for a few 'the's and 'but's. He'd seen more readable files on hard-core classified black-ops missions. Behind him, her heard Jenny's breath catch in shock at the shock. "Her entire life has been crossed out Gibbs. She's been involved in top secret projects her entire life."

Gibbs shook his head slightly and moved to turn away. "I have better things to do than look for a whiz-kid teenager neck deep in black-ops. You can deal with this Fornell."

He could tell both Fornell and Jenny were ready to call him back, as if both had been expecting his denial. But before either could say anything, another, much younger voice called out, "Jethro wait!" He stopped when he heard the pleading voice, recognizing the low tenor and the way his name was said, with a slight, barely there, roll of the 'J'. He turned around slowly, staring at the young man that had appeared over Fornell's shoulder. He was young, maybe 21, with curly brown hair and wide, dark brown eyes. He was pale and lean, with long, almost gangly limbs. His eyes were shadowed but trusting.

Gibbs stared at him, two very different memories flickering through his mind. The first was old and already faded, nothing more than the whisper of voices and a feel of cold sinking into his limbs. _"...terrible car crash. Destroyed everything. He's lucky to be alive. But he has no where else to go..."_

The second was newer, warmer. He could still feel the smile that had crossed his face, the texture of the pictures on his finger tips, and the sound of a familiar voice coming over the phone pressed against his ear. _"... for about a month now but we're all getting along great. I wish you could meet them; you'd like them. I...probably wouldn't be coming home for awhile. But I'm having a lot of fun of don't worry, okay?...." _And he could remember the face of a much younger Dr Katherine Tennet staring up at him from the photos.

The young man with Fornell stared at him, his eyes pleading. "Please, Jethro. Find her." Gibbs sighed through his nose, knowing he would no longer be able to refuse.

---

He quickly jogged down the stairs into the bull pen, barking out orders as he did so. "Hey! Let's go! We've got a case!" Tony jerked upright from the doze he was falling into, letting out a tired "wasn't sleeping, boss." Ziva ended the call she was in the middle of and, at his look, yanked the neon orange cap off her head that she'd forgotten about. McGee stopped working on whatever advanced computer program he was in the middle of and stood up, one hand going to grab his gear.

"Leave it." He ordered, slamming the papers he'd gotten from Jenny down onto his desk. Tennet's entire life was on those papers and nearly all of it was blacked out. "This is a kidnapping." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the flash/thumb, something-or-other, driver he'd also been given and tossed it to McGee.

A picture of the young doctor immediately appeared on the screen and McGee uttered a soft 'hun' when he saw it. "That's Katherine Tennet." he muttered. He turned towards Gibbs. "She's been kidnapped, boss?"

"You know her Probie?" Tony asked as he moved to stand in front of the screen.

McGee glanced at him briefly before looking back at the picture. "Only by reputation. She's brilliant. In fact, I just finished reading a paper she wrote on repeating energy anomalies in the atmosphere believed to be created by a combination of the earth's rotation, geomagnetism, and solar flares, and how it can be harnessed...to..." He trailed off when he noticed the looks he was getting. "Probably... not important, huh?

"You think McGee?" Gibbs asked. "She was working on a top secret project when she disappeared. We need to find her as soon as possible. Got it?" They nodded, almost as one. "Good. McGee! Find out everything you can about her and this project she was working on! Ziva! DiNozzo! Go to her apartment! Find me a suspect!"

They immediately went to work. As Tony threw his bag over his shoulder, he asked, "Boss, is there a reason we got this case?"

"Yeah, DiNozzo." Gibbs replied. "Personal reasons! Now get out of here!"

---

"Well, it's definitely not 'Home Design'." Tony said, looking around the small apartment. It was barely furnished; not in a way that said 'just moved in' but in a way that said 'haven't bothered to decorate'. There was nothing more in any room than was absolutely necessary. The only room that was even faintly crowded-and he used the term loosely- was the bedroom, which was actually more of an office.

"Tony!" Ziva called from said bedroom/office. "Come look at this!"

He entered the room, taking in the large desk, messy paper piles, and large white boards covered in marker. "What is it?" he asked.

Ziva handed him a picture. "She had a lot of friends. It makes for a lot of suspects." He took it from her, humming in agreement when she asked if they should take Tennet's laptop. The picture had five males and three females if one didn't count Tennet. "It'll take a while to talk to all of them. Gibbs is going to kill us."

"Maybe I can help narrow it down." Ziva said. Tony looked over at her. Tennet's laptop was tucked under her arm and she was staring at something on the desk. "How?"

She looked over at him with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. "Tennet has a girlfriend."

---

Tony and Ziva jogged into the bullpen. Tony was carrying the photos they'd found and Ziva had the laptop. McGee was going over something on his computer with a frown and a look of confusion. "Something wrong McGee?" Ziva wondered.

McGee nodded slightly. "I've been going over Tennet's finances for the last few months. The girl's like a machine, she only what she needs. Nothing more, nothing less. It's crazy." he told them. The two shared a look. "Oh, I believe you Probie." Tony said. "You should have seen her apartment. It was scary." He even gave a fake shudder.

"No, that's not it." McGee said. "Last week she made a very out of character purchase on an expensive necklace. It came out of nowhere. It's possible someone stole her identity." he told them.

Ziva spoke up. "Or it could be for her girlfriend." she suggested.

McGee stopped working to give her a blank look. "What?"

"Tennet had a girlfriend Probie." Tony said, pulling out the picture Ziva had found and handing it to him. A young woman had her arms wrapped around Tennet's shoulders affectionately and was resting her head against the doctor's shoulder in an intimate gesture. She was tan, probably the same age as Tennet, with long black hair and dark eyes. "Looks like Tennet's getting more girls than you are Probie. That's just not right." Tony teased.

McGee gave him an annoyed look but didn't say anything. Before Tony could speak again, Gibbs entered the room, demanding to know what they had. "Dr Tennet was emancipated at the age of 14 and has lived in that same apartment since then." McGee reported. "She's helped complete several high-profile projects throughout her life, all of which I can't get more information on besides their names. Her current project is called 'Project Ranger'."

"Tennet defiantly lived alone boss." Tony spoke up. "Completely self-sufficient but she doesn't have anymore than what she needs. Also, she had a girlfriend. Ziva has her computer; we were just about to bring it down to Abby."

Gibbs nodded, seeming strangely unsurprised, and motioned them forwards. "Well, let's go."

---

When they entered Abby's lab the young woman was listening intently to a conversation playing from one of the computer's speakers. They all paused in the doorway to listen to it briefly. _"So you are going to show tonight right?" _The voice was young, just slightly accented, and defiantly feminine.

_"Of course. I said I would. Besides how am I supposed to give you your present if I fall asleep at my desk again?"_

A soft, musical laugh filtered through the speakers and Abby stopped the tape, remarking. "I would love to meet the woman who laughs like that."

Gibbs shook his head slightly and walked forward. "What you got Abbs?" He asked. She looked at him with her normal charming smile. "A recording of her cell phone conversation on the way to work. She was setting up a meeting for tonight with another woman named Tenaya who, get this, worked with her."

"Must be her girlfriend." Ziva said, walking forward as well. Abby's eyebrows shot up briefly. "Girlfriend, huh?" she repeated. "Bet you're loving this case, eh Tony?" she asked teasingly. Tony smiled and shrugged one shoulder but before he could say anything Gibbs cut him off.

"Got anything else Abby?"

"Patience Gibbs." She told him calmly. "Breathe." She imitated taking a deep breath and letting it out. When she saw his unimpressed look, she turned back to the computer. "I'm running a search on all Tenaya's in the greater DC area that work for the government. I shouldn't get that many people. It would be better if I had a last name but considering Tenaya's not a popular name I'll get less than if it was say, Brittany or Jessica. At least, I don't think it's that popular. I've certainly never heard it before and I've been in this business a very long time. So it shouldn't be that popular I don't think and..."

Gibbs cut her off. "Kane."

She stopped, blinked, and then looked at him. "What?"

"Her last name." He told her. "It's Kane." With that said he turned and walked out. The three watched him go before Tony turned and looked at Abby. "You've known him longer than I have." he said. "You have any idea why he said this case is personal?"

She looked at them, slightly wide-eyed, and shook her head. "Not a clue."

They both sighed and Ziva walked forward to give her Tennet's computer. "This is hers. Can you get figure out what's on it?" she asked. Abby nodded and the two walked out.

---

Tony stepped out of the car, raising his head to stare at the tall building in front of them. "This where Tennet works boss?" he asked. Gibbs nodded, making him whistle appreciatively. "Nice."

They both walked into the building, Gibbs waiting a minute as Tony figured out what floor Tennet worked on. "Fifth floor boss." he said, jogging up to him with a grin. Gibbs nodded and quickly walked towards the elevator. They were the only ones in it so when the door opened on the fifth floor to reveal someone waiting, it had to be for them. Gibbs' eyes narrowed when he recognized the dirty blond hair, dark tan, and strong jaw of the man waiting for them. The same man who had been talking to Jenny when he'd entered MTAC that morning.

The man looked up at them and a lazy grin crossed his lips. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Are you from NCIS?" he asked. Tony nodded, making his smile widen. "Good. I'm Colonel Lohn Gale, I'm in charge here. How can I help you?"

"Actually we're looking for a Tenaya Kane. She works here right?" Tony told him, getting a nod.

"Ah yes. Dr Kane. Bright young woman, not quite a match for Dr Tennet but her physical abilities allowed Tennet to work much easier and much faster. The two made a very good team." Gale told them with a small smile of pride. He began leading them away from the elevators further in. As he did so, he didn't see the look Gibbs and Tony shared. "Bright young woman but not the brightest on the team?" Tony repeated. "Doesn't look good for Kane."

Gibbs gave him a considering look then looked back at Gale. "How did Dr Kane become involved with the project?" he asked.

"Her brother, Dillon." Gale answered. "He was apart of the project for nearly a year before she joined as well on his recommendation." He paused outside the door to a room and looked back at them. "Your team was suggested by an employee, an employee I trust very much. He asked me to request the case be given to you instead of the FBI, Agent Gibbs. Was his trust in you and your team misplaced?"

The two men stared at each other, Tony starting to feel uncomfortable next to them. Finally Gibbs smirked and shook his head. "I said I'd find her and I'm going to find her."

Gale smiled again and turned around and entered the room. They easily followed him. The room was very large and a strange mix of lab and lounge. Gale looked around then called out. "Truman!"

A young man popped up from the lounge section. He had dark brown skin and wild, slightly curly dark brown hair. "Yes sir?" he asked, seeming to fall naturally into a military at-ease stance. Tony arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Boss, that's one of the guys from the photo." He whispered. Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. "Have you seen Dr Kane today?" Gale asked.

The young man frowned in thought then slowly shook his head. "No sir. She didn't report in today. Neither did Dillon." He thought about it for another moment then added. "Neither did Ziggy."

"And you are?" Tony asked. The young man turned to him. "Captain Scott Truman, US Air Force. I work here."

"Captain Truman is the team leader." Gale told him. "He will know more about the team than I would. You should probably ask him your questions." The two shared a brief look before Gale walked off, leaving Truman with them.

"Where are the missing members of your team, Captain?" Gibbs asked. "Last I heard Ziggy had gone to talk to the FBI, sir. This was, of course, before the case was handed over to you. If I know the other two, and I do, then Dillon followed Ziggy and Tenaya followed Dillon. That's the way that family works. Always has sir." Scott said.

Gibbs nodded and Tony asked, "Did you know Tennet and Kane, the female Kane, were seeing each other?" he asked, stumbling slightly with his words and blinking as he clarified. Scott nodded again. "Everyone did sir. They didn't try to keep it a secret."

The pilot paused then added. "I know how it looks sir, but Tenaya wouldn't have hurt the Doc. Their relationship wasn't easy, it had its sore spots, but they love each other. Always have, always will." He said. And he looked completely sure of what he was saying.

---

"I'm just saying," Tony said again back at NCIS. "It's highly possible that Dr Kane snapped under the pressure of her job and ended up hurting Tennet. Captain Truman said himself that she was one of the strongest fighters there, better than even him sometimes. It couldn't have been that hard for her to do some damage."

"'Aya wouldn't do that." A new voice said. Tony turned around and stared at the man standing at the entrance to the bullpen. He was thin and lean, a little on the young side, with messy brown curls and dark brown eyes. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his pants and he was staring at them with dark, serious eyes.

Tony blinked and reached across his desk to grab one of the photos resting there. He held it up, his eyes flickering between the boy in front of him and the younger version standing next to Tennet in the picture. "You're this kid." he muttered.

The young man smiled slightly, the skin around his eyes crinkling at the familiar move. "I am." He paused and looked around. "I'm looking for Jethro." he said.

Tony blinked at the familiarity of a first-name basis, allowing McGee to say. "Well, Special Agent Gibbs is-"

"Right here McGee." Gibbs interrupted, walking into the bullpen from the other end. He stopped when he saw the young man standing between Tony and Ziva's desks and smiled slightly. "Ziggy." he greeted.

The young man's smile widened considerably. "Jethro, it's good to see you again. It's been too long." he said, walked towards the much older man quickly. There's was a moment's pause before Ziggy leaned in and wrapped his arms around Gibbs. Surprisingly, Gibbs hugged back.

As the other members of the team gaped at them, Gibbs pulled back and turned Ziggy around to face them. "Ziggy this is my team, DiNozzo, Ziva, and McGee." He paused and smiled down at the young man who only came up to his shoulder. "Team, this is Ziggy Grover. My godson."


	2. Chapter 2

Godson

Chapter 2

The bull pen was silent. Tony, Ziva, and McGee all worked quietly, Tony practically pounding on the keys. "I just don't get it!" He finally snapped. "Why wouldn't he tell us?" The other two ignored him, continuing to work. "I mean, you'd think after he got blown up he'd start telling us these things. And if he has a godson, where's said godson been all these years?"

"Part of 'Project Ranger'." McGee said, finally breaking his silence. He looked up from his computer. "You said that Colonel Gale said that an employee requested our team. At the very least, he works in the building."

"But why didn't he tell us?" Tony demanded, not bothering with what that could mean. Ziva and McGee shared a look then rolled their eyes. "Come on guys!" Tony shouted, standing up and walking into the middle of their circle of desks. "Don't tell me I'm the only one that's hurt that he never even mentioned he had a godson?"

Nothing.

"No, I think you are the only one." A new voice said, making Tony whip around to stare at the young woman standing in the same spot Ziggy had been standing just a few minutes previously. Her hair was long and near black, the bangs done up in braids. Her eyes were dark and amused and she looked like she was trying not to laugh. A young man stood just behind her. He was a few inches taller than her and they shared the same sharp jaw, the same dark hair and eyes, and, from the looks of things, the same cocky smirk.

Tony felt his jaw drop as he stared at him. The woman was familiar, scarily familiar. He recognized her.

Tenaya Kane. And more than likely, her brother, Dillon Kane.

---

There was silence. For once there was complete and utter silence. Gibbs watched with an arched eyebrow as the two people before him stared each other down. Abby was staring rather intently at the young man in front of her, her eyes unwavering and unblinking. Ziggy looked back at her with his customary wide smile and kind brown eyes. Abby had given Gibbs a disappointed and shocked look when he said his godson was right behind him before turning to stare at said godson. A few years ago, during the time the young man had still lived with him, Ziggy would be shifting restlessly under the stare. Now he put up with it calmly.

Finally, apparently sensing that Abby wasn't going to say anything first, Ziggy tilted his head to the side and grinned mischievously. Gibbs had to bit back a groan when he saw it; that grin never meant anything good. "So," Ziggy drawled. "Just how many tattoos do you have?"

Abby blinked in surprise then started to grin. She stepped forward, wrapping Ziggy in a tight hug that he returned easily. "Oh, Gibbs, he's adorable." she said as she pulled back. Ziggy arched an eyebrow, blinked a lot in confusion, but didn't say anything about the comment like he would have before. Ziggy certainly had changed in the time he'd been away, Gibbs thought. If it was a good change or not, he still had yet to see.

"You got anything Abbs?" He asked, stepping between the two. As happy as he was that the two were getting along he'd prefer to have the young doctor Ziggy seemed so fond of safe first. Abby immediately turned towards the laptop resting silently on the table. "Someone definitely tried to break into her computer Gibbs. They did a good job of trying to clean it up but I'm better." She told him, rubbing her hands together proudly.

"They get anything off of it?"

Abby shook her head. "Nope. Tennet had some pretty good defenses Gibbs. Even I can't get through it." She paused then added. "Yet."

Ziggy smiled in amusement. It was an indulgent smile, like a parent gives to a still young and imaginative child. "You won't." He told her. "Doctor K was the best. Especially with computers."

"Oh." She said, turning to look at him. "You sound like you've got a crush." She teased.

He laughed brightly. "I do. But not on her. We're like family."

"So, who do you have a crush on?" Abby asked, fishing for information. They both ignored Gibbs' annoyed groan. "Gotta a girlfriend?"

"I wouldn't say that."

"Ooh." Abby said, stepping closer. "Come on. Give me details! What's her name?"

Ziggy met her eyes squarely and there was a self-assured smile on his face that said that no matter what her reaction was, he didn't care. "Dillon." He told her calmly.

Abby's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh." she said in shock. A nervous laugh fell from her lips. "Wouldn't quite say you have a girlfriend, huh?" she repeated, making Ziggy nod. Despite her shock, Ziggy looked really rather amused than upset.

But the exchange reminded Gibbs of something very important. "Just where is Kane?" He asked, dragging Ziggy's attention back towards him. He knew both Kane's were very protective of Ziggy and neither, certainly not Dillon, would have let him wander around on his own when they realized that Tennet had been kidnapped.

Ziggy looked away, burying one hand in his hair like he used to do as a child when he knew he'd done something Gibbs wasn't going to like. "Um, I kinda, left without him." he said sheepishly.

Gibbs glared at the much younger man. "Why?" He snapped, the question coming out harsher than he intended. He knew Ziggy could take care of himself- he'd made sure of it- but it was possible they were dealing with a terrorist cell and he would stand a much better chance coming out of an attack alive if Dillon, who was both stronger and faster, was there to back him up. "In case you haven't noticed, a good friend of yours, that you just **happen** to work with on an above top-secret project," He paused to give Ziggy a look that said they were going to talk about that later. "Has been kidnapped. She could be dead. And you've been running from agency to agency across the state by **yourself**?"

"I wanted to get here before you started looking at the wrong person." Ziggy defended. "Which apparently I didn't do. Tenaya wouldn't have done this."

"You sure about that?"

Ziggy's expression hardened and he set his shoulders. His gaze was defiant. "I trust Tenaya with my life. I trust her with the world." He said in a clear, strong voice. He was almost daring one of them to argue with him. The confidence he had in her threw Gibbs for a moment. He knew Ziggy could be protective of his friends and he might trust people too easily but there was something in his eyes that told him this was different. This wasn't the kind of trust that could be gained over coffee at Starbucks. This was the kind of trust that only developed when you were forced to put your life in another person's hands daily and they never failed you. This trust had to be earned the hard way; it had to be earned in combat, when under fire.

There was an uneasy silence in the room as Gibbs let that knowledge sink in. After a moment it was broken by the sudden ring of his cell phone. He flipped it open, not moving his gaze from Ziggy's. "Yeah?" There was a pause as he listened to the other end then he nodded. "We'll be right there." he said, snapping the phone closed again. "The Kane's are here."

The tension in Ziggy's shoulders melted away and was replaced by a wide, beautiful smile. He immediately turned and left the room for the elevators. Gibbs shook his head and moved to follow him, stopping to press an appreciative kiss to Abby's cheek. "Gibbs." Abby called, making him turn back to look at her. "Is Ziggy going to be okay? I mean, you said he worked with Tennet so maybe whoever took her is going to come after him."

"He'll be fine. We'll take care of him. And whatever gets through us, Kane can handle." He told her, completely sure of his words.

He walked out, just barely managing to make it into the elevator before the doors closed. "Do I need to ask about Project Ranger?" he asked, looking at his godson out of the corner of his eye. Ziggy glanced at him then reached forward and hit the power switch, stopping the elevator.

Gibbs arched an eyebrow and turned towards him fully. This must be very important for Ziggy to be the one to stop it. He knew just how important Dillon was to the boy. Ziggy took a deep breath and looked at him with those same confident, defiant eyes. "I can't tell you what it is. I can't tell you what I do. And I can't tell you what it's for. But understand this Jethro. I love my job. I cannot see myself doing anything else. This is what I was **meant** to do." With that said, Ziggy turned back around and flipped the switch back on. "Once a Ranger." he said confidently. "Always a Ranger."

Gibbs took a good look at his godson and decided that yes, the change was a good one. Ziggy was more confident, more sure of himself and his abilities. Oh, he could still see hints of the young boy that had grown up with him in his wide eyes and bright smile; could still see the sometimes too-curious, too-trusting teenager in the rambling way he talked and subconsciously leaned towards someone else as if for protection. But now he could also see the good, capable young man Ziggy had become. A small smile crossed his lips as the elevator doors started to open for them. He was proud of the person Ziggy was becoming.

But a part of him couldn't help but wonder if Project Ranger had not had a hand in the change.

They calmly exited the elevator and walked towards the bullpen, Ziggy's excitement only noticeable in his suddenly brisk pace. As they came closer they could hear Tony's voice asking with false casualness, "You know you are a suspect in a federal investigation, right?"

"Of course." A female voice said and Ziggy had to smile when he heard the cocky, smart-ass tone Tenaya was using. "I'm not an idiot."

They entered the bullpen, Ziggy stopping when he saw his two friends. Tenaya was stolen Tony's chair and was sitting behind his desk, Dillon standing just behind her. Tony looked annoyed at the theft of his seat while Ziva and McGee looked amused and curious. The conversation trailed off when Tenaya realized her brother's attention had been diverted. Following his gaze she smiled and waved slightly in greeting at her brother's boyfriend. "Hey Zig."

The room turned to look at the two but Ziggy was still staring at Dillon. The older man nodded slightly, the hints of a smile on his face. "Hey, Zig." he greeted warmly.

A wide smile flew across Ziggy's face and he raced forward, a gleeful laugh tumbling past his lips. "Dillon!" he shouted happily as he wrapped his arms around the older man's neck. Dillon's own arms wrapped around his waist and he was easily lifted up off the ground and spun around in a brief circle that made him laugh again. Once his feet were back on the ground, Dillon leaned down and caught his lips in a lazy but passionate kiss, his hands burying in Ziggy's messy hair as their tongues meshed together. A silent message passed through the intimate kiss that no one else was privy to.

_"I'm glad you're okay."_

Unnoticed by the two men, nearly the entire room was staring at them openly. Slowly, Tony turned his head away from the very strange and unusual scene- especially here at NCIS- to stare around at the others. Ziva was just staring at the two kissing men with raised eyebrows, which was better than his previous outright gaping. She looked slightly dazed but still very appreciative of the display. He turned to look at McGee. The computer geek didn't seem to know what to do or think and was glancing around at everyone for guidance. And finally he looked at Gibbs. The boss didn't actually seem that surprised and was staring at the two with a small smile. After a moment of thought Tony decided the only reason the two weren't both getting slapped for the kiss- hell, make-out session by now- was because one of them was his godson.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, the two men pulled apart. Dillon rested his forehead against Ziggy's, his hands dropping back down to the boy's waist and pulling him even closer. "Don't run away like that Zig." Dillon whispered, ignoring the rest of the room. Ziggy's eyes were closed and he just nodded, his voice breathless and dazed when he replied. "'m sorry."

Gibbs cleared his throat, breaking the two from their trance. They both looked over at him; Ziggy twisting around in Dillon's hold while the older man immediately straightened when he saw just who it was that had interrupted them. Gibbs stared intensely at the man who held his godson's heart. "Kane." He said, not really a greeting. He had long ago accepted that the two loved each other fiercely and there was nothing he could say or do to tear them apart but that didn't mean he wasn't going to remind the oldest Kane that he could make his life a living hell if anything happened to Ziggy every time he saw him. And he sure as hell wasn't going to tell either man that he was growing fond of having Dillon around when Ziggy visited on the holidays.

Dillon nodded. "Sir." he said respectively, making Tenaya roll her eyes and shake her head. Gibbs and Dillon stared at each other for a minute then Gibbs smirked and turned away. However, before anyone could say anything, the Director called down to them from where she was standing on the top floor just outside of MTAC. "As sorry as I am to break up this very cute reunion, there's a call waiting in MTAC."

Gibbs rolled his eyes in annoyance and moved towards the stairs, intending to get it over with as fast as possible so he could continue with the case. "It's not for you Jethro." Jenny interrupted, making them all pause again. She turned her gaze towards Dillon, Tenaya, and Ziggy. "It's for you."

The three traded looks, Ziggy blanching slightly. "It's not... Colonel Gale is it?" He called up to Jenny. She nodded, making him groan and slump against Dillon. "Did I do anything bad?" he asked, looking up at Dillon with wide eyes.

"Well, you did run away." Dillon told him, making Ziggy groan again and turn around to bury his face in Dillon's shoulder. "Hide me." He pleaded. Dillon chuckled softly and traded an amused look with Tenaya.

"Think on the bright side Zig." Tenaya suggested, getting out of Tony's chair; the former homicide detective immediately reclaimed it. "It could be Colonel Truman."

Ziggy let out a long suffering groan, dropping his head back onto Dillon's shoulder even as the man pushed him forward towards the stairs. "Wouldn't that just make my day?" he whined

Gibbs watched them go with a frown. Finally he turned his head to look at Jenny who was still waiting at the top for small group. She met his gaze and shrugged slightly. To his surprise she didn't follow the three into MTAC but waited until the door had closed before walking down the stairs to join them in the bullpen. "Director?" he asked, silently reminding her of the lines the team had that she didn't cross. She looked back at him calmly.

"I've been kicked out of MTAC for a reason Jethro. I would like to know just what that reason is." She told him. "This woman is obviously important. I'm not here to intrude on your investigation. I'm simply curious."

The two stared at each other for a minute. "Something feel off Jen?" Gibbs asked. She frowned slightly. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet." She looked back at him. "Did you know that one young man Jethro?"

"That's his godson." Tony told her quickly, sinking into his chair with a soft sigh. Jenny frowned briefly before her eyes widened and her gaze shot back up to the door to MTAC. "That was Ziggy? Jethro he doesn't look anything like the boy in the picture you showed me."

Gibbs rolled his eyes in part-amusement, part-exasperation as he told her, "That was nine years ago Jen. And it was the one time he ever managed to do something with his hair." He didn't wait for her to say something else before he turned to his team. "Anyone got anything new?"

"I do boss." McGee said. "It's about Project Ranger." He stood up when Gibbs motioned for him to continue. He picked up the remote for the plasma and pushed a button. Immediately the blank screen filled with the image of a wheel decorated with the letters RPM. Beneath it was the tag-line Gibbs had heard Ziggy mutter: '_Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger_.' McGee turned towards the group. "I still haven't been able to figure out exactly what it is but apparently the Project has been running for about four years. The first year it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Just as the government was going to shut it down, Tennet came in. From the looks of things it's almost as if she started to run the Project by herself. From the reports I could access, the Project started to succeed in leaps and bounds. Without Tennet, the Project probably never would have gotten off the ground. About a month after she joined, she brought in seven more people."

He clicked the button and a group of seven pictures appeared. All depicted a different person. "Captain Scott Truman, Air Force. He's father's a Colonel in the Army and his brother is a Major. Flynn McAllistair, a jack-of-all-trades. He's father is a mechanic. Summer Landsdown is training as a medic and is the heir to the Landsdown fortune. Dillon Kane and his sister live by themselves and have since their parents died nine years ago. Ziggy Grover is, ah... collage gradate, orphaned at 10 when his parents died in a car crash and he went to live with his godfather. Gem and Gemma Hu, I... uh, have nothing on them boss. It's like they just appeared overnight." He told them.

"From what I can gather, whatever the Project is about, these seven are in the center of it boss."

Gibbs didn't say anything, just stared at the picture of Ziggy, his eyes occasionally flickering towards the door to MTAC. After a minute, Jenny decided that it would be better to pull him out of his thoughts, where ever they may be, and asked McGee tentatively, "Did you find anything connecting these people to each other or Doctor Tennet besides Project Ranger?"

McGee shook his head. "Not a thing. Before joining the Project none of them had ever met. And what's strange is that despite how classified the Project is and the fact that it's run by a Colonel, the only person with any actual military training is Captain Truman."

"So the question becomes," Ziva stated from where she was leaning against the front of her desk. "What makes these people, civilians with barely any military training, more suited for the Project then any of the well-trained and highly-experienced soldiers available?"

"They have heart." Gibbs said, "And for a Project like this, you need some one who believes in what they're doing." He turned to look at his team and Director. "I asked Ziggy about the Project on the way up from Abby's lab. He told me only one thing. He could never see himself doing anything else."

Ziggy's voice drifted down to them suddenly, soft and warm, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."

They all turned to see Ziggy sitting on stairs, Dillon and Tenaya on either side of him. There was a gentle smile on Ziggy's face and as he stood up, his eyes looked relieved. "Is there a room where we can talk? That isn't the elevator, because that's not big enough."

Tenaya turned her head slowly to look at him. "Huh?" she asked.

"He uses elevators when he needs to talk to a person privately. Shuts them down between floors." Ziggy told her. He looked down at Jethro and grinned. "The technicians here hate him."

Tenaya thought about it for a minute then said, "That is brilliant. Why have we never thought of doing that?"

Ziggy shook his head and ignored her. "SecNav and Colonel Gale have agreed that without an in-depth knowledge of Project Ranger and the people working on it, you cannot reasonably find suspects and track down any leads. We have been given permission to debrief anyone that Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs trusts beyond reason and is essential to solving the case and finding Doctor Tennet on the Project. We will need a room." He told them all in a clear voice but the expression on his face said that the needed formalities really annoyed him.

Roughly five minutes later the three members of Project Ranger, Gibbs' team, Abby, Ducky, and Director Sheppard were gathered in the newly empty MTAC. "You all understand that whatever we tell you here, you can't repeat?" Tenaya asked. They all nodded.

Abby slowly raised her hand. "Um, I have a question." She said slowly. "You all seem very eager to tell us about the Project. Shouldn't the people in charge be a bit more, oh I don't know, hush hush about it?"

"From the ever beginning, Project Ranger was supposed to go public once it hit a certain point in its progress." Dillon answered. "We're only about a few months work away from that point. Since Ziggy here trusts you all can stay silent for that period, we have no problem telling you."

Abby nodded, obviously thinking about it. "Oh. That makes sense."

"Ziggy." Gibbs said, staring hard at his godson. "What is Project Ranger?"

The young man gulped slightly and looked down at his hands. Sensing his anxiety, Dillon reached forward and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Ziggy gave him a grateful smile and turned to stare at the room at large. "Project Ranger is meant to consist of a team of seven people, called Operators, who are to deal with home land security and defense, the retrieval of hostages in foreign countries, and occasional black-ops missions that only the team can complete due to our access to certain technologies, weapons, and abilities. The Operators are to be assisted at all times by a military head and a small team of scientists." He told them calmly.

"So, Project Ranger is meant to be nothing more than another part of your military?" Ziva questioned, looking confused. Ziggy thought about it for a minute than nodded. "That's one way of putting it. I guess you could also look at it like a weapons program."

Gibbs was still staring at Ziggy intensely, hearing what he wasn't saying. "What do you call it?"

Ziggy took a deep breath as if knowing that his answer would not go over well and slowly met his godfather's eyes. "We are not going to be part of the military and creating weapons is only part of it. We are making... super-soldiers."

There was a moment of silence as everyone attempted to digest that piece of knowledge. Gibbs leaned back in his seat, taking a deep breath. This was not what he had expected. Ziggy had never told him much about what he did at work and he was still getting used to the fact that he was part of a top-secret project. But this...? This was not what he had expected at all. He wasn't sure if he could handle this.

Finally Tony broke the silence at ask, "Super-soldier? You're kidding right?"

This time it was Tenaya who answered. "About a month before Kat joined the Project she wrote a paper on a net of energy present in our upper-atmosphere. It is created due to a mix of the earth's rotation, geomagnetism, the moon's gravity, and solar flares. She theorized that if the Grid could be harnessed we could greatly improve energy usage, weapons efficiency, medicine, anything and everything. Project Ranger is supposed to harness that energy and use it to improve living people. We designed it so that the energy travels through the body by the use of a device called a 'morpher', which is activated by the push of a button or lever and the saying of a key phrase and secured through voice recognition and DNA sequencing. The energy then surrounds the body and encases it in a suit of sorts. The suit allows the user to become faster and stronger than the average person.

"Also, we have discovered an unexpected, though not unfortunate, side affect of the energy. Once used for the first time the energy, the Power, lingers in the body even when not being used. It makes the user more energetic and gives them a faster healing rate. Although we are loath to use the term, Ziggy is right in saying we are creating super-soldiers."

For a long time no one said anything. It was Ziva who spoke first this time. "If Hamas or al-Qa'ida gets their hands on the technology you have created it would not end well."

All three nodded as one. "We know." Dillon said. "That's why we need to find her as soon as possible. The Doc's strong but I don't think she's ever been interrogated before."

"It would have to be an inside job." Jenny observed. "Any one you don't trust?"

"No." Ziggy and Dillon said at the same time Tenaya said "Yes." The three paused and shared looks, communicating with their eyes. "A young scientist." Tenaya said, not looking away from her brother and his boyfriend. "He joined the Project as an assistant four months ago. He seems perfectly harmless but I know no one else there would do this."

"What's his name?"

A look of intense anger swept over Ziggy's face as he gritted out, "Turner Sierra."

---

Ziggy stared at the young man sitting in the interrogation room, trying to understand what he was thinking. Turner had acted like a little puppy during his time with the Project. He had started to get very annoying but everyone had thought him harmless. Even Kat. And maybe that's why they were in this position. "Jethro." he called to his godfather, who was standing near the door watching him. "If he doesn't say anything in fifteen minutes, we do things our way."

Gibbs stared at his godson for a long minute, taking in the angry hunch of his shoulders and his clenched hands. His reflection looked pissed. The door opened suddenly, permitting Tony, Ziva, McGee, Tenaya, and Dillon. It made it a bit crowded as the room wasn't meant to hold this many people and he didn't doubt that the Director, along with Abby and Ducky, were watching what was happening up in MTAC. He pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door, glancing over at Ziggy again.

Dillon was standing next to him, an arm wrapped loosely around his shoulders in comfort. As Gibbs stared at the two he realized that Ziggy hadn't been making a suggestion. They'd go in with or without his permission.

---

The young scientist jumped when Gibbs slammed the door open, looking up at him with wide eyes. In the next room Tony snickered to himself. "He is not going to last." He observed cheerfully.

"What's going on?" Turner asked. "I was going home and I suddenly got pulled over and brought here. I've been waiting in here for ever."

Gibbs ignored him, slamming a picture of Tennet onto the table. "Where is she, Sierra?" he demanded. Turner was staring at the picture in confusion. Finally he looked back at him. "I don't know!"

"We have your finger-prints on her laptop, the owner of a grocery shop saying he saw you 'helping' Tennet into your car because she was passed out, and we have recordings of you talking to well-known terrorists." Gibbs snapped, the lies flowing easily off his tongue. "You're going away for terrorism. You want help, tell me where she is! And she better be alive for your sake!"

Turner shook his head rapidly. "I'm telling you I don't know anything about this!"

Gibbs straightened and pointed angrily to the glass behind him. "I also have three very pissed off members of Project Ranger in the next room. One of which happens to be Tennet's girlfriend! And all three can't wait to get their hands on you."

The minute the words left his mouth, Turner paled drastically. "Kane?" He squeaked, his eyes wide in horror. "Tenaya Kane is here?"

Gibbs turned to stare at the glass and motioned with his head for the young woman to come in. Almost immediately the door opened and Tenaya walked in. She didn't shut the door again, allowing Dillon and Ziggy to rest against the frame and watch the three inside. "Where's K?" Tenaya demanded, her voice sharp and hard. Despite that she was doing a remarkable job of holding in her anger.

"I don't know!!!"

Ziggy snorted in amusement and whispered out. "You know Turner. There is a reason you don't piss of the woman who was an evil robot trying to take over the world in a past life." he said cheerfully. Tenaya seemed to get some sort of permission from that because she walked forward and easily wrapped her hand around Turner's neck and slammed him against the wall. Although her movements were rough, Gibbs could tell her hold on him was gentle and wouldn't even bruise. Yet.

"How much?" Dillon asked. "Did they pay you to give them the Doc?"

Turner shook his head as much as he could in Tenaya's grip. "Wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to get the files off her computer and hand it to them. Katherine was never supposed to get involved."

Tenaya's grip tightened greatly and, much too every one's surprise, she shifted and easily lifted him off the ground. Behind the glass, Tony whistled in appreciation. "If that is what they can do without the Power from the Grid." Ziva said, shaking her head in amazement. "I fear what they will be able to do with it."

"Why not just give them the laptop?" Tenaya demanded, her voice filled with rage. "It had all her files on the Rangers!"

"I was..." Turner tried to choke out, his hands trying to pull her hand away weakly. "trying to get... the virus. Heard you talking about it. Thou-thought if I could find it I could...could sell it. She wasn't- going to us- use it anyway."

Tenaya frowned and glanced over her shoulder at the two men in the doorway. Ziggy's eyes widened in horror and realization and he took a step back in surprise. "They're not after Project Ranger." he breathed, closing his eyes tightly.

"They're after Project Venjix."


	3. Chapter 3

Godson

Chapter 3

Their steps were nearly silent as they slowly approached the warehouse and their Sigs created a comfortable weight in their hands. The bulky presence of their ballistics vests was reassuring as they lined up against the wall near the door. The oldest stepped forward, adjusted the miniature camera in his head set, and slowly eased the door open, his gun ready and his mind alert even as they thought back to the events that had led him and his team to this point.

_Gibbs watched his godson pace the length of the bull pen restlessly, his eyes dark and his lips pressed into a thin line. Dillon was sitting next to him, also watching Ziggy's agitated movements. Tenaya looked like she was going to join Ziggy's pacing any moment._

_"What's Project Venjix?" Ziva asked, looking between the three. Ziggy stopped his pacing and turned to look at her for a long moment, his eyes dark. Then he dropped his gaze to the floor and sighed, his shoulders slumping as if he was carrying the weight of the world. "Everyone makes mistakes." he whispered softly, his words hesitant, his tone sad. "And there is always that one mistake in your life that you would give any thing to take back. The one thing you wish with all your heart you could go back and undo but you can't. Venjix is K's."_

_Tenaya spoke up, taking over where he'd left off. "Venjix is a self-replicating, self-aware computer virus. If it gets a hold in the net then we're doomed. It will take down the stock markets, the electrical grid, our defense systems. It will end the world in a matter of months." She paused then told them. "It was never supposed to see the light of day."_

Tenaya watched the team slowly move through the warehouse slowly, praying to every God she had ever heard of that they'd find her Kat and bring her home safe. "We talked this morning." she whispered to the Director next to her. Jenny glanced at her curiously so she continued. "We were... supposed to go to dinner and my biggest worry was that she was going to forget again." She shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "She was always doing. She'd loose herself in her work; completely forget we had anything planned. Sometimes, she'd even just fall asleep, right there at her desk. And it made me so mad."

A soft laugh echoed dryly out of her throat although it was as far from an actual laugh as one could get. "The last thing I told her was that I'd never forgive her... if she didn't show up again. That was the last thing she heard before she got kidnapped."

Jenny sighed and wrapped her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, her motherly instincts flaring brightly to the surface. "It's okay. I'm sure she'll forgive you if you're waiting for her." She whispered. Tenaya sighed softly, taking comfort in the words. Maybe she would forgive her... Kat had a good heart beneath that hard exterior after all. Then something struck her as wrong. Where was Ziggy whispering the same reassurances to her?

She lifted her head, looking around the dark room. "Where's Dillon and Ziggy?" she asked the Director. The woman's dark eyes widened in surprise and horror. "Oh no."

---

The com in Gibb's ear blared to life, the Director's worried voice echoing out. "We have a problem Jethro." she told him even as he heard Tenaya shouting curse words in the background. "What is it?" he hissed lowly, raising a hand in the pause gesture. His team obediently stopped.

"The male Kane and Ziggy aren't here."

"What?!" he shouted. "Don't tell me those two followed us." If they had, and they survived this, he was going to kill them. He was going to kill them, bring them back, and then do it all over again. Five times.

Tenaya's voice suddenly snapped over the link, hot and irritated and just slightly sarcastic, "Where the hell else would they be?"

He echoed a few of the young doctor's curses and immediately informed his team to keep their eyes open for the two. "I'm going to shoot them both." he hissed, unable to find words for just how angry he was. They kept going, not bothering to keep quiet anymore after Gibb's outburst but still being cautious.

They'd covered nearly the entire place before they found the right room. McGee jerked the door open, allowing Tony and Ziva to file in and then entering next to Gibbs. "Everybody freeze!" they shouted.

---

Ziggy and Dillon tensed when they heard shots suddenly explode through the building. They shared a look then took off, their steps in perfect sync. Years upon years of training together had made it so they could practically read each other's minds with just a look and knew what the other was going to do before they even did it. They stopped outside of an open door and, after a quick, shared nod, burst into the room.

Two men were running towards a back exit, a bloodied and beaten Katherine Tennet being dragged between. Two semi-automatic rifles were in their hands. Gibbs' gun was raised to fire at them but they suddenly swung Kat in between them and the group and Ziggy shouted out, "No, don't!!"

Nobody fired, although Ziva, who was hovering protectively over a wounded McGee, seemed for a moment like she wasn't going to listen.

Ziggy watched as the two barged out the door, staring at the now nearly unconscious Kat in dismay. He moved to go after him but before he could, Ziva let out a sharp shout of shock, warning, and dawning horror. He turned in time to see what looked like a very early, very twisted version of a Venjix attack-bot slam what could be called its arm into Ziva's ribs, throwing her roughly across the room only to be caught by Gibbs and tumble in a heap to the floor. His eyes widened in horror when he saw McGee groan, struggling to his feet and try to get away. There was a bullet hole in the middle of his leg and another cuffing the top of his shoulder. He'd never get away in time.

"Shit!" he cursed, running forward. He grabbed the man's arm and helped propel him forward. As he did, he let his feet slip out from under him and his momentum drag him forward still. Nearly in front of the bot he pressed his hands into the concrete, ignoring how the rough ground bit harshly into his palms and thrust his weight up, his feet hanging into the air and slamming into the machine. He easily maneuvered himself into a flip with the ease born of years of practice.

The minute his feet were on the ground, Dillon appeared at his elbow. They traded looks again then nodded, both charging forward. They moved in perfect tandem, slowly and steadily beating the bot backwards. Morphed, they probably would have been able to do it forever. But now, without the morphers even built, they couldn't do it for long, not against an opponent built to be ten times stronger than the average human.

Dillon grabbed his arm and, sensing his plan, Ziggy allowed him to flip him heels over head at the attack-bot. The move was more reminiscent of something Gem and Gemma did during practice but they pulled it off well enough for a first time. His legs slammed into what could be termed the thing's shoulders. Once his feet were back and stable under him Dillon pulled back and Ziggy allowed himself to be presented as its main target. He danced around it's clumsy but fast attacks, weaving in and out until he managed to get its back towards Dillon.

The older man immediately wrapped his arms around it, trying to hold it steady. Ziggy didn't wait to give it the chance to break free and jumped forward, bracing his knees into the bot's shoulders as his hands reached out for it's head. He leaned forward and with the quick, sharp twist his godfather had taught him as a kid, he snapped the thing's head nearly completely 180 and then a full 360. Something broke, allowing him to pull the head away from the rest of the body.

Something started to tick.

Dillon and he traded looks and he knew Dillon was thinking the same _shit_ that he did. They nodded to each other and Dillon jumped away from the bot at the same time Ziggy pushed off, back-flipping neatly off of it. They cleared just as it self-destructed. Compared to the very impressive explosions Gem and Gemma set off nearly daily, it was small and weak but up close the shrapnel would have torn them to shreds.

Ziggy steadied himself on his feet and looked up and over at Dillon. "K!" They both shouted, the familiar nickname that for some reason they used more than Kat rolling off their tongues in concern. They both turned but before they could get even close to the door Tony barged through it, a slowly recovering Kat cradled carefully under one arm. He grinned at them as he carefully guided the young doctor into the safety of the future Rangers' presence. She stumbled forward, for once allowing the two to hug her tightly. Behind her, Tony told them, "You know you guys love me."

"What happened, Tony?" Ziva asked him even as she forced McGee to sit down and let her tend to his wounds.

The former homicide detective shrugged. "I followed them outside. Managed to shoot one of them down before I had to duck for cover. But apparently our doctor over there wasn't as out of it as she appeared because she did a good number to the other one. I mean, talk about repressed anger; she must have been waiting all day to do that."

Ziggy smiled softly and reached down to brush Kat's bangs out of her eyes tenderly. "That true K?" he asked softly. "You hit them?" She nodded, a slow, satisfied smile crossing her lips. Dillon smirked and ruffled her already messy hair fondly. "That's our Doc." he said proudly.

She put up with it for a few more minutes before pulling back, a strange look appearing on her face. "I did it." she muttered, sounding amazed. The two of them frowned in puzzlement but before Ziggy could start to get really concerned she continued. "I know how to make the morphers work now."

---

The group exited the elevator into NCIS, beaten, battered, but still whole and successful. And it was completely worth it when Tenaya ran down the stairs from MTAC and Kat allowed herself to collapse in Tenaya's waiting arms and enduring how tightly the taller doctor's arms held her. Tenaya's breath was ragged against her ear and Kat felt the muscles in her back slowly relax and let go of the tension lingering in them.

Tenaya pushed her back just enough to catch her lips with her own, the kiss hard and realized and just slightly desperate. And they cherished every second of it.

Tony tilted his head to the side as the kiss got more intimate, lips opening and tongues twining together. "Hun." He said, watching the two with fascination. "I really love my job." he muttered. He stiffened when he felt a cold glare level on his head and tore his gaze away from the kissing women to look at Dillon.

Beside the glaring man Ziggy giggled softly and leaned against him in amusement. "I'm really... happy." he whispered as the gruesome length of the day finally settled into his limbs, the adrenaline fading. His eyes felt really heavy. Dillon broke of his glare to glance at the boy slumping against him and sighed, gathering Ziggy to him and resting his arms around his waist. Ziggy leaned against him heavily, turning in the embrace so he could bury his head in his shoulder. "It's been a long day." he muttered.

He raised wide eyes towards the older man and pleaded softly. "Can we go home now?" Dillon glanced over at Gibbs and, after getting a nod of approval, pressed a fond kiss to Ziggy's forehead. "Yeah Zig. Let's go home."

---

The drive to Gibbs' house, where they'd stay for the night, was a long one. The entire team had agreed to come back to the agency the next day to finish up the case before taking a long, well-deserved break. Gibbs had allowed Dillon to stay with him so Tenaya and Tennet could have the apartment room they'd rented to themselves so Kat could regroup without being crowded.

Dillon sighed softly to himself as they pulled into the driveway and glanced back at Ziggy curled up in the backseat. He was asleep. He shook his head slightly and motioned with his hand for Gibbs to continue into the house. Dillon unbuckled the younger man's seat belt and then gently picked Ziggy up, cradling the thin, lanky boy to his chest. Ziggy muttered something in his sleep and shifted closer, a content smile on his face.

It took him only a moment to find the room always prepared for Ziggy's random visits and settle him down. Ziggy frowned briefly and the nice warmth pressed against him disappeared but it vanished when Dillon tugged the blankets around him and pressed a warm kiss to his forehead. He looked over at Gibbs waiting in the doorway and nodded to him in a silent good night, waiting till he left the room and shut the door to tug off his shoes and slowly climb into bed next to Ziggy. Ziggy immediately curled up to him again and Dillon draped his arms across the boy's waist again. It was only a few minutes before he joined the younger man in sleep.

---

**The next day**

Ziggy groaned when he entered Abby's lab to see Kat and Tenaya already working. "Did you two even go to bed last night?" he complained, ignoring Dillon's amused chuckle next him. Gibbs smirked as he followed them in, the rest of the team behind him.

Abby bounced over to him, her eyes wide and excited. "Gibbs, these girls are geniuses!" she squealed softly, turning admiring eyes towards them. Gibbs rolled his eyes, watching as his godson and his godson's boyfriend walked over to join the doctors.

Ziggy shook his head as he watched the two work. They were both working on the prototype morphers, quickly fixing the shape of two of them. Two computer chips were resting next to them. "It's brilliant really." Tenaya said, looking up at them with a smirk. "I never would have thought to do it. She wants to use a secondary device- an engine cell- to help channel the energy. Without it, the power overloads the morpher and you don't morph."

"Done." Kat told them, holding up the rev morpher she was working on. She grabbed the chip off the desk and handed both to Ziggy. "Your morpher, Ranger Operator Series Green." she told him even as Tenaya handed Dillon his. They both took the devices and slipped on the holders, stepping away from the two doctors.

Dillon glanced over at Ziggy, "Ready?" he asked, fingering the engine cell he'd been giving. Ziggy nodded. "Ready." he answered. As one, they slipped the cells into the morphers. "RPM!" they shouted, jerking the lever. "Get in gear!"

There was a flash of black and green light as the morphers bonded and the energy surrounded the two of them in its protective embrace. Ziggy couldn't hold in his gasp as it filled him, almost enough to make his head spin at the intensity.

Nearly everyone was staring at them in shock as the light died down, leaving the two in the Ranger suits. Abby had dropped her Caf-Pow! and was gaping at them like a fish. McGee was blinking rapidly, like he believed the scene in front of him would change if he did it enough times. Tony was frozen, his eyes wide and startled and it looked like he was trying to say something but couldn't. Gibbs slowly started to shake his head as he stared at the two. He was going to half to kill them. Ziva just looked plain confused as she leaned over to whisper to Tony, "Why are they suddenly wearing spandex?"

Ziggy's voice asked them, "You've never heard of the Power Rangers?" at the same time Kat snapped out, "It's not spandex!"

"She's Israeli." Tony said slowly, finally getting his mouth to work. After another moment of silence he snapped out in a rush, "Power Rangers?! You never said you were going to be Power Rangers! How do you not mention something like that?"

The helmets disappeared in a flash and Ziggy shared a confused look with Dillon. "We didn't tell them that?" he asked. "I could've sworn we did." Dillon shook his head in answer. Ziggy shrugged unconcerned. "Ah well." he muttered.

Ziva looked around at her team in confusion. "What is a Power Ranger?" she asked in puzzlement. The other ignored her, walking up to the two men. After a minute she joined them, still looking confused.

Only Gibbs hung back, staring at them with the flicker of a smile on his face. He had lost his family a long time ago but nearly a month later, he'd gotten Ziggy, still recovering from his own loss. And now, years later, he'd gotten another, vastly different family in the dark, brooding but tender Dillon and sarcastic, smart-mouthed Tenaya Kane. He had a team he trusted and would give anything for. Ziggy, closer to a son than anything, had grown from the strange, slightly introverted little boy he'd been after his parents' deaths into a strong, confident young man with his whole future ahead of him, surrounded by people he loved.

Life gave you something wonderful, tore it away, and after a while gave you something just as good, sometimes better. And, although it had been hard and tough to get to this wonderful point in their lives, none of them would have it any other way.


End file.
